Crème Brulée Cheesecake Recipe
|
Crust
1 ½ cups graham crackers
1/3 cup plus 4 tsp. melted butter
¼ cup packed brown sugar
Crème Brûlée
2 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
6 large egg yolks
10 TBSP sugar
Cheesecake Mix
3 1/2 cups plus 3 TBSP cream cheese
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole eggs
¼ cups egg yolks
Caramel Sauce
1 can (6 ounces) evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1 package (8 ounces) caramels
Yield: 12 – 16 servings
Preparation
Crust
Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
Mix all crust ingredients in bowl of electric mixer until well combined. Cover the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan (2 ½” high) with parchment paper (parchment paper is optional but keeps the crust from sticking to the bottom). Put the cracker mix in the pan, and press to make a firm base. Make sure the crust covers the edges of the pan as the crème brǔlée mix may leak.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
Crème Brûlée
Preheat the oven to 250°. Warm the cream and the seeds from the vanilla bean together in a saucepan for 10 to 15 minutes, to infuse flavours. In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks and sugar together. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture turns whitish in color.
Using a wire whisk, add a cup of the cream mixture into the yolks, then gradually mix the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining cream mixture. (This process, which is called “tempering”, allows the yolks to be incorporated into the warm cream without becoming scrambled.) Pour onto the top of the cooked crust.
Bake for 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Cheesecake Mix
Preheat oven to 200°. In a medium bowl use a mixer to blend cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Scrape the bowl often to prevent lumps from forming.
Gradually add the whole eggs, a little at a time, scraping the bowl often. Add the egg yolks. Pour onto the top of the Crème Brûlée.
Bake for 3 ½ hours, or until a gelatinous consistency is achieved. Chill overnight.
Caramel Sauce
Melt the evaporated milk and caramels together in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth. Cut the cheesecake into between 12 and 16 portions.
Drizzle the caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake slices before serving.
Good with a sweet German Eiswein or a Tawny Port.
